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With his daughter's help, Lowell man is 'keeping on'

By Lyle Moran, lmoran@lowellsun.com

Updated:
02/15/2013 03:44:35 PM EST

Jim Fairweather, who is battling polycystic kidney disease, dances with his daughter, Julie Simmons, at her wedding. Simmons has set up a Facebook page, "A Kidney for My Dad, Please," to help find her dad a kidney donor. "I really appreciate what she has done, and I am so grateful for the people who have responded to her," Fairweather says. Courtesy Photo

LOWELL -- Throughout Julie Simmons' life, her dad, Jim Fairweather, has always been bursting with energy, demonstrating his zest for life while coaching her softball team or fixing things around the house.

But Simmons says in recent months, she has seen her 59-year-old father's vibrancy slowly slip away because of a genetic kidney disease that has progressed to the worst stage and makes it hard for Fairweather to sleep.

Fairweather is seeking a kidney transplant so he can live for many years to come.

The Sun recently caught up with Fairweather, a civil engineer living in the Belvidere section of Lowell, to learn more about the disease that has left him in need of a new kidney, as well as to hear about his family's efforts to find a donor for him.

Q: When did you learn you had kidney problems?

A: I found out I had polycystic kidney disease when I had some kidney stones in the 1980s. It is a genetic disease, but it usually reveals itself in your 40s and 50s. Typically, there is a 50-50 chance it won't affect your lifestyle and you won't need a transplant. Unfortunately, I progressed beyond just having to manage my blood pressure.

Q: What does polycystic kidney disease do to a kidney?

A: Your kidney grows cysts, and the kidney turns into a big bag of pus-filled cysts. Then the kidney cells are getting pushed out of the way, and it starts to become one gigantic cyst. They say the kidney is roughly the size of a clenched fist. Mine is the size of two clenched fists because of the multiple cysts.

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Q: How has the disease affected your day-to-day life?

A: Until a few years ago, I was told if I just managed my blood pressure, I would be fine. But two years ago, fatigue set in. I'm just chronically tired. You go to bed and wake up tired. You just don't feel right. More recently, I'm starting to get nausea and a few other things, like shaky hands. I also used to run every day, but I can't anymore.

Q: How quickly do you need a new kidney?

A: I'm at the point where I should be chemically hooked up to a machine in the next few months, but I'm trying to stave off dialysis as long as possible. They say a transplant is better pre-dialysis. Once you go on dialysis, you pass away after a few years or you get a kidney transplant. I'm on a national deceased-donor list, but the wait could be two to three years.

Q: What is your outlook about your future at this point?

A: I'm thinking positive. I'm trying to live as much as I normally can. I'm keeping on keeping on.

Q: Could any of your family members donate a kidney?

A: For different reasons, my three siblings all have conditions that rule them out. My son cannot donate a kidney because he also has polycystic kidney disease. My hope is my daughter is compatible with my son if he needs a new kidney at some point.

Q: What has your family done to help you find a donor?

A: My daughter set up a Facebook page to try to help me find one. I really appreciate what she has done, and I am so grateful for the people who have responded to her. It makes me feel good to know there are so many great people out there.

Q: How many people have come forward from the Facebook page?

A: There have been at least 20 people who have offered to be donors, but they either have had pre-existing conditions prohibiting them from donating or work in occupations preventing them from donating. I want to thank anyone who has volunteered, and I have been very grateful for the people who would consider doing such a thing. If all I needed was a big heart and the right blood type, I'd be all set.

Q: What blood type do you need a donor to have?

A: I'm Type-A blood, so I can get As and Os, either plus or minus. My insurance company will cover all the testing necessary and the transplant procedure if it gets to that point.

Q: What should people do if they're interested in seeing if they could donate a kidney?

A: They can contact my daughter, Julie, through the Facebook page she set up. She will correspond with potential donors to see if there is anything that might preclude them from donating, and if not, go from there.

The Facebook page Julie Simmons set up is called "A Kidney for My Dad, Please." You can search for it in Facebook or go to www.facebook.com/ AKidneyForMyDad.

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